Closure-applying mechanism.



UNIIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORBERT lVI. LA PORTE, OF BALTIMORE,

MI5RYLAND.v ASSIGNOR T0 THE CROWN CORK AND ySEAL COMPANY F BALTIMORE CITY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPO- RATIGN OF MARYLAND.

CLOSURE-AIPPLYING MECHANISM.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patentes] May 16, 191 6.

Application filed July 28, 1911, Serial No. 641,171.

lle it known that L Nonntn'r M. LA Pon'rn, n oitizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Stute ot' Maryland, have invented certain new und useful Improveniontfg in (jlosure-Applying Mechanism, i'ullv described :incl represented in the folloifinpf Speoilioation and the uoeompnnving drawings. forming' :t part olf the suine.

This inventum relateu to certain improvements in machines for applying' closures to containers.

lne of the objects oil" tho invention to produce an improved rnaehine for applying Closures to eontainers suoli, for instance, as bottles, which is: adapted to Siniultai'ieously apply elonures to a plurality or group nl' containers.

A further ohiect oi the invention iS to produce an ixuproxed mechanism for torwnrding closures from u, source, oi" Supply, Sorlin for instance, ns u Selecting hopper omninouly enujvioved in such machines through a plurality; of feeding channels or chutes, the ineohzmisni including; means for distributing.; the, closures in Such n inunner as to insure that all the rhannels or Chutes Shall he, properly Supplied with closures.

A further object of the invention is t0 produce nn improved mechanism for ell'ectwith certainty the feed oi' closures through a Chute, or clnlles, the closures being Supplied to the chute from a suitable @ouwe of Supply.

llVith those, and other ohio-.its not specilicull)v referred to in vie\:y the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, iinprm'enientn and combinations will be, hcroumfter ,1i ly described und then speeii'inallv pointed out, Q Y n Referring to this maroni)mnying llraivingsx Figure 1 is un end view of so much o'l a innihine for applyingv closures to bottles as is necessary to un ruulerstanding of the invention. liig. '.2 u view illiisitrntiugir the arrangement of a group of closure :im'ilying' hendsiivhich may he, employed.y the view also .illustrating certain mechanism for advancing the closures through the feeding' ehutes which may he employed for onrrving! the, invention into eti'ocl. Figi. l is a detail Seoy tional vie\\' ou :in enlarged eil-:ilu ot one. of

the crowning heads shown in Figi'u 2 und a part of the feeding rneehaniszn, Fig. l is a section on the line -lfwl of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a detail View of distributing nierlmnism which may loe employed.W

Machines embodying the invention will usually include n source of Supply :for the closures to be applied which receives the closures in a. mais. The machine which has been selected to illustrate a concrete einbodiment of the invention 'is intended to apply the Well-known crown corks to hot ties, und in this nniffhine the closures are supplied Vfrom n selertingr hopper. indicated :it l. this hopper heing carried on Standards or columns Q forming' n part ol' thel machine frame. Selecting hoppers of the` type illustrated are well-known in the art, und aS the particular construction of hopper has no special referente to the invention which forms the subjei'zt-lnatter otl this npplizn.- tion a specific description of it will not he given. 1t nmylie, remarkedQ however, thatl the hopper shown full)- illustrated und deserihwi as to the den-ills of its construetion in United States Patent No. lli'r to Painter and 'Hawkins7 dated Feb. 20, v190W ln machines which embody the invention in its liest form, thel closures will be supplied hy the hopper to a plurality of Chutes hy which they are forwarded to the applying devices, und in order to insure u full SupplyV to euch chute a distributing mechanism will he employed between the chute and the hopper. While the distributing mechanism ma)Y vnry in its oonstruetion inthe partiCu hu: uuiohine shown the hopper delivers the elowiueb through a hort nevi( 2% into :i` easing; coneisting oi' front and hach pinten` 4, 5. The trout pluto l is formed to provide a. longhear-- ingf through which extrnds un operating shaft 7. this shaft carrying ou its inner end and within the easing n pluto 8 provideflwith a circular ril 9. The spoon between the. circular rih 9 and the outer Wall of the casing is of n Size to reeeive and maintain crown eorks as they are delivered through the`neclt 3 into the casing. In the particular machine shown the. easing hns noininunicnting with it i'our chutes lt). theSe chutes being provided with slotted covers ll. Vllhcn a distributing mechanism of the character illustrated is employed the distributing disk will7 in the best constructions, he given an oscillating,r movement. Vhile this may be effected in any suitable manner, the shaft 7 is provided with a crank arm 12 to which is secured a connecting rod 13, this rod being in turn secured to a crank pin 14 on a worm gear l5 suitably supported in the mach'ine. This worm gear is driven from a worm 1G ou the shaft of a small motor generally indicated at 17 and supported on a bracket 18 extending from the hopper structure. As the crowns fall into thechannel formed hy the rib 9 and the Walls of the casing, they will be swept around by the forward movements of the disk or plate and caused to drop into one or the other of the channels 10. lf any channel 10 is full the crowns will drop into a neighm boring channel which has space for them. The movement of the distributing disk is sutlicient to prevent any wedging or collecting of the crowns in thedistributer and at the same time if the channels are all full the disk can move under the crowns without forcing a movement of them until there is space in one ormore of the chutes for more. crowns. In other words, when, the crowns are free to be moved by the movement of the disk, they will move, and when they are prevented from movingr there is no jamming action of the disk which would injure the crowns.

Vhen as in the machine illustrated the construction is of such a character to si multaneously apply the closures to a plurality or group of containers, the applying,r devices. in machines which embody the invention in its best form. will be arranged in rows. In the particular construction illustrated, there are four rows of closure applying devices each row containing five independent applying devices. lVhile thc construction of these applying devices and the means for supporting them may be varied, in the machine illustrated each apl'ilying device includes a casingV 1f), these casingsl being mounted in a supporting block 20 carried on a cross-bar 21 which is supported on the columns Q. The casings are provided with re4 duced lower ends 2Q engaging 'in opening?l 23 formed in the upper part otE the block 20. The reduced ends enter the openirnrs` and the shoulders formed by them rest on the top of the block. The casingrs are further held in position by tic bolts 24 which pass through ears L5 formed on the casings and are screwed into threaded recesses in the top ot' the block 20. This construction enables the casing together with the, parte which it. carries to be removed from the machine so that it any part of any one ot' the capping; devices becomes detectiv c it can he immediately removed and a new inc substituted. lach casing containsT in the particular' machine shown, a bending die or throat Q6 and a holding plunger 27. '.l'hel holding plunger held to its duty by a spring S and the throatl or bending die by a sprin,f 2i). The eonstruction of these cap applying' devices is t'ully shown and described and the novel features thereof claimed in an application tiled Aug. o, 191i). Ser. o. 575.922. and a further description of them in this application is ui'utecessary. lt ma)` be remarked, however, that all the devices for ettlcting,r the applying` of the closures are contained within the casing, so that any cappingr device may be removed in its entirety b v removing the casing. i

dien the invention is embodied in a machine which en'iploys a plurality oi' rows of closure applying devices. channels should be provided for insurin;r a proper supply of closures to each capping device. llhilo the construction ot' these channels may be varied` the blot-lt if() is provided with a series of grooves 25) which. extern! arrr the under side of the blocki thro: #channels being ot' a width to receive they crowns. "l'he clrmnels` are completed by a coi ci.' plate :il secured bv screws or in any otlu suitable manner to the bottom of the block The channels are provided with openings for rcfueiving the mouths ot the containers which openings should be less in diameter than the dianr eter of the closures. Une of the openings referred to is illustrated in the. fl. and. marked 3:2, the relative sizes of the opening' and crown cork being iiulicated in this iigure. The edges of the openings may lie chamfered oli', as indicated` to permit. the mouth of the container to readily enter it. 'ith this construction the crowns mav be fed throuffh the channel for each row oi appluvingr devices, the crown cork passingr across thc container or 'receiving opening ot each applying device without falling through. ln the machine illustrated there are four channels and these channels registi-fr with the delivery ends of the chutes l0.

ln machines which embody the invention in its best. torni means will he provided for positively toru'ardinzgT the closures through the channels tor thty applying devices. In the particular machine illustratedlhechutes l() have sulistantmllvv vertically and substanti-.illy horimntally arranged parte, the horizontally arranged parte registering with the channels as before described. In machincs embodying' the invention in which this' construction of channel employed, the means for positively forwardingr thc closures may be arranged to cooperate with the horizontal parte ot the chutes. The construction ot' the feeding mechanism employed for thus im'warding the closures ma); be varied within wide limits. la the particular ronstrmtion illustrated 'there is provided a shaft suitably supiga'irtcd in the ina-ahime. this in case any ,-hannel isf'full of closures or.

there is any jalnxninglr in the channel, the fingers will yield and not injure the crown corks.

The shaft may be operated in any suitable manner. In the particular construction shown it is provided. intermediate its ends,

with a ratchet wheel 3S engaged by a spring' controlled pawl ll on a bent operatingr arm it) supported in two ears il, 42, the ear 41 extending from one of the chutes and the ear 42 from one oi the crowning heads. The bent operating arm el() is provided at its upper end with a yoke 43 in which is mounted a roll il which is in the path of a cam l5 mounted on the shaft 7. A spring 4S `which bears on the ear 42 and on the under side of the yolie returns the roll after it has been actuated by the cam to advance the ratchet wheel one tooth.

1t is, ot course. obvious that a relative movement n'uist be eliected between the means for supporting the containers and the cap applying' devices in order to apply the closures thereto. While this relative Inovement may be etiected in anysuitable manner. in the particular construction illustrated 'the containers are forwarded in trays 5U over a table .3l connected to ay fluid` operated piston. not shown, the piston chamber or cylinder being` indicated at The trays are moved into position above the piston by u carriage consisting of side frames 53. lllben a carriage sut-b as this .is employed it may be operated in any suitable manner. As shown. the side trames oi the carriage carry racks 54 which are engaged by gears 55 on a cross shaft 5U. Any suitable Jform of driving n'iechanism not shoun may be employed for actuating the gear carrying sl'iaft referred to.

As has been indicated, changes and variations may be made in the construction by which the invention claimed is carried into etfect. The invention claimed is not. therefore. to be limited to the siiccific construction herein illustrated and described.

1. The combination with a, plurality of rou's of closure applyingr devis, of a plurality ot closure channels one for each row. und means` for supplying closures to the channels.

The combination, with a source of closure supply7 of a plurality of chutes for the closures, and a feeding mechanism for all the chutes, said feeding mechanism comw prising a plurality of feeding fingers arranged to engage crowns in each chute.y each finger being mounted for yieldingif` movement in` both directions along the line of travel ot' the crowns, and means for operatingall of the fingers to feed the crowns.

The combination with a selecting hopper for containing closures, of a plurality of chutes for the closures. and an oscillating distributing mechanism intermediate the lecting mechanism of the hopper and the chutes.

4. The combination with a source of closure supply, of a plurality oi' chutes for the closures, a distributing chamber in communication with the source of supply and below it.y a distributing disk in the chamber. and means 'for giving the disk an oscillating motion.

5. The combination with a closure select,- im;r hopper, of a plurality of chutes tor closures, a distributing)r mechanism intermediate the selectingr mechanism ol the hopper and the chutes` and a feeding mechanism cooperating with the chutes.

t3. The combinationwith a selecting hopper, ot' a plurality of feeding: chutes having vertically and horizontally arranged parts, a distributing mechanism intermediate the feeding chutes and the selecting mechanism of the hopper, and a feeding mechanism cooperatingr Vwith the horizontally arranged parts of the chutes.

7. The combination 'with a, selecting hop per, ot a plurality oi closure feeding chutes, a distributing mechanism intermediate the chutes and the selecting` mechanism of the hopper, and a feeding mechanism coperating with the chutes and having a yielding engagement with the closures therein.

'llhe combination with a selecting hopper. of a plurality of closure feedingr chutes, a distributingr mechanism intermediate the selecting mechanism of thc hoppef and the chutes and a teediruir i'nechanism coperating with the chutes.y said mechanism including a plurality of yieldingly mounted eeding fingers arranged to engage the closures in the chutes.

9. The combination with a selecting hopper for closures, of a plurality of feeding chutes, distributing mechanism intermediate the chutes and the selecting mechanism of the hopper, a feedinqV mechanism coperating With the chutes. rows of closure applying heads. and a plurality of closure channels one for each row. Ciid channels communicating with the chutes` 10. The combination with a closure feedinf; chute. of a shaft, ar plurality ot -feeding fingers yieldingly ctamec'lcd with the shaft, and means for operating: the shaft.

ltO

...aw ArL x1 112. 'w mmhima,

L., mlm) um@ md for humus lmumm'wf 0 shaft` u pim-ahw iii 15 nei :m indy 7 anni l ai c y Clif;

plv for @am smh .nul mmms for chasm-1e, ,my

neming im the me *har row n1 @www upplymgl me miami extend, ng

cnmbinea 

